Ben & Jerry’s teams with brewer for salted caramel brownie beer

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By Michael Pearson
CNN

(CNN – April 16, 2015) — Beer and ice cream. It doesn’t exactly spring to mind when you think of classic food pairings — old friends such as bacon and eggs or steak and cabernet.

But Colorado’s New Belgium Brewery and the folks at Ben & Jerry’s are teaming up on a beer inspired by ice cream — salted caramel brownie ice cream, to be precise.

“At this time I can confirm that Ben & Jerry’s and New Belgium are collaborating to raise awareness around issues we are passionate about, and that the results will be delicious,” New Belgium’s Director of Sustainability, Jenn Vervier, said in a statement.

Both companies have a history of social activism, and the new project will be no different, they say.

Their release doesn’t say what the campaign will be all about, but Ben & Jerry’s Senior Global Marketing Manager Jay Curley promises it will be “impactful.”

“We’re big fans of New Belgium Brewery, their values, and their fun culture, and of course their beer,” he said. “We’re excited for the campaign we’ve developed together.”

The companies will announce the details later this year, and the beer is set to hit shelves in the fall.

New Belgium and Ben & Jerry’s are both what are called “B Corporations,” a certification issued by the private non-profit B Labs to companies that meet its social, environmental, accountability and transparency standards.

New Belgium supports sustainable agriculture, climate change and other initiatives, while Ben & Jerry’s — now a subsidiary of global conglomerate Unilever — stays true to its hippie roots with support for environmental initiatives, fair trade efforts, marriage equality and more.

Last month, Ben & Jerry’s cofounder Ben Cohen said he’d be open to the idea of a marijuana-infused ice cream someday, news that set pot fans ablaze.

But sadly for beer fans, there’s no talk of a beer-flavored ice cream. Not yet anyway.